But I am concerned at where this trend might lead GPU prices to when I am ready to buy new graphics cards at the end of the year or next year.

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Depends on a few factors IMO:
1. AMDs willingness to embrace the same price points
2. The vagaries of TSMCs 20nm process. Wafer cost is supposed to be significantly higher than that of 28nm and 40nm. Yield makes it even more of a crapshoot, especially if AMD look at competing with Nvidia's large die (or large die + ARM)
3. Does AFR become more refined than the basketcase it is at present. If developments in frame metering and buffer switching make mGPU more attractive then the gulf in pricing (esp versus performance) between the single high-end GPU and two midrange cards will only serve to erode the high end market.

Yeah it's AMD's pricing of the 7990 at $1k that worries me more than anything, to be honest. I understand why Nvidia priced the Titan the way they did - they knew they had a HUGE window where there would be no competition for it. Heck they probably could have charged $2k for the Titan and it would have sold out everywhere. To a lesser extent I can understand if they price the 780 too high as well, for similar reasons.

But when I saw AMD just match the price of what was out there - when they really had no reason to do so given its performance... it just made me think that this may be a trend other than just the usual "oh well we just have to wait for the competition and everything will be fine".

I can see the reason for the high price, and yet i can't. On one end the GK110 is a very complex MASSIVE core, and therefore its failure rate during manufacturing is most likely the highest among all other GPU cores made. On the other had the card is made on 28nm which has been around for sometime, and MOST of the time a card is priced according to performance regardless of one company over the other.
I'm in no way effected by this as I'm happy with 1080p, and a 7870, however this "progression" of GPU's this year so far has been pathetic. To the point that my very casual gaming and the new Xbox One is slowly turning my attention form the PC. However some of this "distraction" is the lack of software taxing the hardware, I remember back in 2001-2006 I would upgrade my computer every 20 months. Now a $250 GPU can do it all

Yeah it's AMD's pricing of the 7990 at $1k that worries me more than anything, to be honest.

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I think that may have been the deterrent factor coming into play. AMD don't want to sell the 7990- it is only an SKU to keep an AMD card at (or near) the top of benchmark charts.
If they were serious on selling the card it would be priced closer to two 7970's with maybe a $50-100 "rebate" to allow for the lower bill of materials/packaging/distribution costs. A quick look at the number of units in stock and verified ownership reviews at Newegg, leads me to believe the 7990 is more PR stunt than serious attempt at marketing a $1K card.
The big indicator will be what the next Volcanic Islands high end GPU looks like- both in performance, and price- and whether AMD and Nvidia reach some kind of independent accommodation regarding it and the Titan's pricing

I see two scenarios for when AMD will release a directly competing card...
1. Either it's slightly faster than the GTX 780 (tho most so called "reviewers" will say it's not) and price it slightly less... and maybe after that a price war.
2. Or it's a lot faster than the GTX 780 and will cost more.

I don't really understand people who support these price policies If GTX TITAN launched a year ago, then maybe it would've been OK, might as well have been EOL now and leave room for a more natural GPU generations progression... as well as way more down-to-earth pricings.

Speaking of which, anyone seen that early review on the GTX780? 20%+ faster than the R7970GHz and 28%+ faster than the GTX680, and finally, less than 9% slower than the TITAN for what I've calculated to be $625 MSRP(I hope)... seem almost okay. Then again...

That's the truth and when AMD does release new cards, their pricing will follow suit. It will become the new norm.

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If its an ultra high end performance king.... im sorry to say ..but they should!!! I think amd actually damages itself in some aspects by undervaluing its products. If they moved a whole lot more it would balance out but that's not the case. To be (and remain) successful, Either charge a premium or move enough bulk at a discount to obtain the same level of profitability. Your reputation profits too.. which leads to more profit.. the life blood of business.

People shouldn't complain about prices. Nvidia and AMD are ALWAYS going to have cards that are priced out of most peoples price range, but people WILL STILL BUY THEM. NO matter what, cards like this will exist.

On the other hand, what we should be looking at is if these new cards offer any performance increase over the current GTX 680 for a lower price. That's what matters, because there it is always going to be an incremental step up in the whole generations power thus making the cheaper cards outperform the last gen flagship.

People shouldn't complain about prices. Nvidia and AMD are ALWAYS going to have cards that are priced out of most peoples price range, but people WILL STILL BUY THEM. NO matter what, cards like this will exist.

On the other hand, what we should be looking at is if these new cards offer any performance increase over the current GTX 680 for a lower price. That's what matters, because there it is always going to be an incremental step up in the whole generations power thus making the cheaper cards outperform the last gen flagship.

I dont believe this pricing. If it were $700, then converted to pounds, thats around £450, which is what we pay here in the UK for a 680, with the occasional offer below, but many high class cards are above £450.
This 780 cant possibly be that cheap unless it takes the price point of the 680 and the 680 gets reduced.

I dont believe this pricing. If it were $700, then converted to pounds, thats around £450, which is what we pay here in the UK for a 680, with the occasional offer below, but many high class cards are above £450.
This 780 cant possibly be that cheap unless it takes the price point of the 680 and the 680 gets reduced.

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That is $700 in the US, most like it will end $100+ more then that in the UK. A good 680 in the states will put you back around $500-600, and in the UK, as you said, around $650-700 (£450)